Tension device for winding yarn.



J. D. PENNELL.

TENSION DEVICE FOR WINDING YARN.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 22. m5

1 214,820. Patented Feb. 6, 1917.

JOSEPH D. PENNELL, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TENSION DEVICE FOR WINDING YARN.

Specification 01' Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. e, 1917.

Application filed October 22, 1915. Serial No. 57,268.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH D. PENNELL, citizen of the United States, and resident of Boston, Massachusetts, have invented certain new and .useful Improvements in Tension Devices for Winding Yarn, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tension devices for winding or spooling yarn, and is intended to provide a cheap, simple and convenient device for effectively adjusting the tension of the yarn to be wound or spooled so that it shall be possible to quickly adjust the tension for the entire spooling or winding-machine to suit the requirements of all weights of yarn from the finest to the coarsest.

To this end the invention comprises in combination with means for holding a series of cops of yarn, a main guide member arranged to have frictional contact with the ends of yarn combined with a series of individual yarn-retaining members mounted so as to be movable about the axis of the main guide member in order to increase or diminish the frictional contact of the yarn with the main guide member, thereby varying the tension.

Another feature of the invention consists in the combination with the adjustable tension yarn-engaging means of an indicator by the aid of which the attendant can adjust the tension members accurately to secure the precise degree of tension appro priate to the different weights of yarn to be wound;

Another feature of the invention consists in the provision whereby simultaneous and accurate tension adjustment is secured for all the ends of yarn while making it possible to piece out or connect each individual yarn end or thread with the greatest rapidity.

These and other features of the invention will be described in this specification and will be defined in the claims annexed hereto.

In the drawings I have illustrated a simple and convenient form embodying the principles of this invention.

Figure 1 is a front elevation showing the application of the invention to an ordinary type of spool-ing machine, only such parts of the machine being shown as are necessary to understand the operation of the tension device. Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views in end elevation showing single cops in operative relationship to the tension device which is shown in different positions of adjustment for fine and coarse yarn. Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the indicator device which enables the operator to set the tension device at a suitable predetermined position of adjustment to provide the degree of tension appropriate to any particular weight of yarn. Fig. 5 shows a slightly modified arrangement in which the pivotal axis of the tension device is located between the center of the rock shaft and the line of the cooperating guide members.

In the practice of the invention as illustrated, the cop-supporting spindles a are mounted on the copsupporting rail a after the usual manner of spooling machines. Some distance above the lever of the cops is mounted a longitudinal rock shaft or rod 79 whose ends are journaled in bearing boxes I) in the end frames of the spooler to enable said rock shaft to be turned about its axis into different positions of adjustment. This rock shaft which constitutes the main guide member partly around which the yarn passes on its way to the winding spools c is provided at intervals corresponding to the spacing of the cop spindles with yarnreceiving grooves 6 The yarn ends are distributed up and down the spools e by the reciprocating traverse forks 6, but as these forks and their actuating mechanism are of the usual construction and form no part of the present invention, their actuating mechanism has not been shown.

Overlying eachyarn groove e are yarnretaining members, in this case shown in the form of small fingers secured to the shaft with just sufficient space or clearance at their free ends from the periphery of the shaft to allow the thread to be instantly slipped under them into the yarn-receiving grooves 6 By reference to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be understood that as the shaft or main guide member '6 is turned in a contra-clock-wise direction, the frictional contact of each yarn or thread with said shaft will be increased, while the adjustment of the shaft in a clock-wise direction will diminish the frictional contact of each thread, thereby diminishing the tension. In practice I have found that an adjustment of not much more than ninety degrees is suflicient to furnish all the variation in tension required on all counts of yarns from the coarsest to the finest. Furthermore, in the same position of adjustment, assuming, of course, that the cooperating yarn-engaging members d are arranged in alinement along one side of the rock shaft as they should be, the same degree of tension will always be secured. I have, therefore, provided an indicator device by the aid of which the attendant can accurately .set the rock shaft to meet the requirements of each particular count of yarn which is to be wound on the machine. This comprises a dial 0 secured to the frame or bearing box at the 0nd of the shaft and having a graduated scale marked with numerals corresponding to the numbers on the counts of yarn. A pointer c secured to the shaft 6 is arranged in juxta-position to this scale or dial, and a set screw 6 is provided for securely fastening the rock shaft in its various positions of adjustment. The adjustment of the rock shaft'is effected conveniently by means of the crank handle 9 or other equivalent means.

It will be understood that the nearer the axis of rotation is located to the thread-retaining guides or fingers (Z, the greater will be the effect of any given amount of adjustment, since such arrangement increases the line of yarn contact with the rock shaft 6 to a greater extent than where, as in Fig. 1, the axis of rotation coincides with the center of the rock shaft. This change of location in the axis may be conveniently effected by providing the bearing ends or journaled portions of the rock shaft 1) with eccentric collars 0 which when resting in the journal boxes forming the bearing support for the rock shaft tend by their eccentricity to bring the axis of rotation 0 considerably above the center of the shaft Z) and adjacent to the point of peripheral contact of the yarn therewith. It will be understood, of course, that the eccentric collars 0 are tightly secured to the shaft to turn therewith in the adjusting operation.

What I claim is:

1. A tension device for yarn winding embracing in combination means for holding a series of yarn cops, a main guide member mounted above said cop-holder in position to engage and frictionally retard the yarn ends, and a series of cooperating yarn-retaining members mounted at intervals along said guide member, said yarn-retaining members being movable around the axis of the main guide member to increase or diminish the frictional contact of the yarn ends with said main guide member, substantially as described.

2. A tension device for yarn winding embracing a rock shaft forming a guide memher for the different yarn ends, a series of individual yarn-engaging members secured thereto so as to be revoluble around the axis of the rock shaft to various positions of adjustment in order to vary the extent of circumferential contact of each yarn end with the main guide member, substantially as described.

3. A tension device for winding yarn embracing in its construction a rotatable yarnengaging member arranged in position to form frictional contact with the ends of yarn to be wound, a series of individual yarn-retaining members movable about the axis of said yarn-engaging member simultaneously to vary the degree of contact of the yarn ends against said member. and an indicator device coiirdinated therewith to indicate the proper position of adjustment ofthc a rneretaining members appropriate to different counts of yarn, substantially as described.

The combination with a rotatable guide member provided with a series of yarn-receiving grooves arranged at intervals, a series of yarn-retaining fingers extending over said grooves in position to allow each yarn end to be inserted and retained in its appropriate groove, and means for adjustably securing said guide members in its various positions of rotation, substantially as described.

5. In a tension device the combination of a rock shaft provided with a series of regularly spaced circumferential grooves, a series of retaining fingers secured in line along said rock shaft with their free ends projecting over the respective grooves, means for clamping said rock shaft in different positions of rotative adjustment, and an indi cator device connecting with said rock shaft to indicate the counts of yarn appropriate to different positions of adjustment, substantially as described.

6. A tension device for winding yarn, embracing a main guide member mounted to be rotatable in its support and arranged to form frictional contact with a plurality of vided with a suitably spaced series of yarn counts of yarn, and means for fastening said receiving grooves, a series of retaining finrock shaft in different positions of adjustgers projecting across said grooves to re- ,lnent to secure the desired tension for the 13 tain the yarn ends therein and operatively yarn to be wound, substantially as described. connected with said rock shaft, an indicator In Witness whereof, I have subscribed the device secured to said rock shaft and proabove specification.

vided with a scale marked to correspond to JOSEPH D. PENNELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

